Automotive continuous action facility for unloading bulk materials



Nov. 14, 1967 E. G. UGODIN ETAL 3,352,400

AUTOMOTIVE CONTINUOUS ACTION FACILITY FOR UNLOADING BULK MATERIALSOriginal Filed Oct. 5, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 14, 1967 E. G. UGODINETAL 3,352,400

AUTOMOTIVE CONTINUOUS ACTION FACILITY FOR UNLOADING BULK MATERIALSOriginal Filed Oct. 5, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet z FIG. 4

Nov. 14, 1967 E. G. UGODIN ETAL 3,352,400

AUTOMOTIVE commuous ACTION FACILITY FOR UNLOADING BULK MATERIALSOriginal Filed 001:. 5, 1964 Nov. 14, 1967 E. G. ueoom ETAL 3,352,400

AUTOMQTIVE CONTINUOUS ACTION FACILITY FOR UNLOADING BULK MATERIALSOriginal Filed Oct. 5, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent3,352,400 AUTOMOTIVE CONTINUOUS ACTION FACILITY FOR UNLOADING BULKMATERIALS Evgeny Gavrilovich Ugodin, Abram Vladimirovich Lepsky, andJury Vladimirovich Kamshitsky, Moscow, U.S.S.R., assignors to "sesojuznyNauchno-Issledovatelsky Institute Zheleznodorozhnogo transporta, Moscow,U.S.S.R. Continuation of application Ser. No. 401,351, Oct. 5, 1964.This application June 16, 1966, Ser. No. 558,143

' 9 Claims. (Cl. 198-9) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Material transferapparatus having a drivable carriage with an oscillating frame pivotallymounted thereon and supporting a vibratory gathering head for rippingmaterial and feeding the material to a disc feeder mounted on the framebehind the gathering head, the material then being fed to a receivingconveyor also mounted on the frame.

This is a continuation application of our earlier application Ser. No.401,351 filed Oct. 5, 1964 and now abandoned.

The invention relates to automotive continuous-action facilities adaptedfor work in limited space conditions, preferably for use in unloadingsmall-lump and bulk products from roofed railroad freight cars.

Automotive continuous-action facilities comprising a chassis with a maincarriage and receiving and unloading conveyors mounted on said chassisare known already. The receiving conveyor is equipped with a disk-typepick-up device and is hinged to the chassis in a manner enabling theconveyor to rotate relative to the chassis by a limited angle in thehorizontal plane. With this arrangement, the receiving conveyor is movedby a hydraulic mechanism of the loading unit.

A disadvantage of such facilities is their low productivity in limitedspace conditions, e.g. in unloading roofed railroad freight cars. Thiscan be explained by the fact that there is a necessity to frequentlychange the location of the facility and the position of its receivingconveyor in order to provide an area of a suflicient width to pick upmaterials. In particular, this does not permit to unload cars in a pass.

Another disadvantage of the known facilities is their inefficiency inhandling caked and/or compressed materials.

Still another disadvantage of the known facilities is their designcomplexity conditioned by the employment of complicated multi-unitmechanisms with a hydraulic drive to rotate the conveyor and pick-updevice.

The main object of the invention is to raise the productivity of theproposed facility by increasing the width of the pick-up area for workin limited space conditions, preferably in unloading roofed railroadfreight cars, thus providing for the possibility of carrying outunloading operations in one pass.

Another object of the invention is to simplify the facility designinsuring a simultaneous increase in operation reliability.

Still another object of the invention is to ensure the efficiency of thefacility in handling materials which can become caked and/ orcompressed.

.The achievement of the aforesaid objects is ensured by an arrangementwherein a rotation mechanism of the pick-up device and receivingconveyor includes an auto matic control system effecting an end-to-endpendulum movement of the pick-up device over the whole width of the carinterior.

3,352,400 Patented Nov. 14, 1967 In conjunction with a necessaryfrequency, such an arrangement of swinging produces the desired increaseof the width of the area from where material to be handled is taken bythe pick-up device. The width of said area can correspond to the insidewidth of the car.

According to the invention, the receiving conveyor complete with thepick-up device is supported on a horizontally arranged frame attached tothe chassis of a main carriage by means of a vertical trunnion, therotation mechanism being in the form of a double-acting hydrauliccylinder. The cylinder which is hinged to the horizontal frame cantravel transversely, while a rod of the cylinder is secured to bracketsof the chassis of the main carriage. Attached to the frame are alsorests for actuating limit switches fitted on the chassis of the maincarriage, said limit switches being associated with a circuitcontrolling automatically an electromagnetic slide valve adapted toreverse the hydraulic cylinder when the frame reaches its extremepositions. a

The design of the frame rotation mechanism ensuring periodic swinging ofthe receiving conveyor is simple due to the use of a small quantity ofkinematic links.

At the same time, such an arrangement ensures the dependability of themechanism in operation.

The swinging amplitude of the pick-up device can be calculated supposingthat the width of the pick-up area is equal to the car inside width.Such an equality permits to empty each half of the car in one pass.

On the front of the pick-up device is mounted a vibratory gathering headdriven alternately. This head, travelling in the plane of the receivingconveyor in a direction normal to the conveyor longitudinal axis,ensures the ripping of the material. The swinging movement of thereceiving conveyor complete with the pickup device contributes, too, tothe ripping operation.

Upon deposit on working elements of a feeder, the material istransferred to a transporting element of the receiving conveyor.

Thus, there is obtained efliciency in unloading caked and/or compressedproducts covering mineral fertilizers, various chemicals, etc. Theunloading facility is provided with a distance control.

Illustrated below in conjunction with the attached drawings is adescription of an embodiment of the facility according to the presentinvention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 schematically depicts the automotive conveying facility,

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the pick-up device swinging mechanismin operation,

FIG. 3 is a side view of the automotive facility main carriage and theswinging mechanism attachment to the main carriage, 7

FIG. 4 is a top view of the automotive facility main carriage with theswinging mechanism,

FIG. 5 is a top view of the swinging mechanism partly sectioned and theswinging mechanism automatic shifting device,

FIG. 6 is a section taken along the line 6-6 (FIG. 5) of the hinge jointof the slide block with the frame of the receiving conveyor,

FIG. 7 is a side view of the shifting device partly sectioned along theline 77 (FIG. 5

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal section of the pick-up device gathering headdrive, I

FIG. 9 is a view of the drive eccentric,

FIG. 10 is top view of the pick-up device of the conveying facility, and

FIGS. 11a, 11b and lie show several positions of the automotive facilityin the car.

The facility comprises a self-propelled carriage 1 .(FIG..

1) with driving wheels 2 and running wheels 3. Mounted on the carriage 1is a drive 4 including a motor 5, a train of worm and tooth gears, and aframe 6 which swings in a horizontal plane, said frame being attached tothe carriage 1 by means of a trunnion 7 and slides 8, while saidtrunnion and slides are in engagement with supporting pads 9. Anunloading belt conveyor 10 is installed by means of a bracket 11 of thetrunnion 7, such an arrangement enabling the conveyor to rotate. A frame12 of a receiving conveyor is hinged to a bracket 13 of the frame 6. Theframe 12 is supported at the rear thereof by a hydraulic cylinder 14 bymeans of which the receiving conveyor together with a pick-up device onframe 12 can be raised or lowered.

Provided for rotating in a horizontal plane with the frame 6 and thepick-up device and the receiving conveyor 12 is a hydraulic cylinder 15mounted on the carriage; ends of a piston rod 16 of said cylinder arefixed to' brackets 17 (FIG. 4). Attached to the hydraulic cylinder 15(FIG. 6) is a pin 18 carrying a slide block 19 which is movable in aslot 20 of the frame 12 of the receiving convoyer.

Attached to the cylinder 15 (FIG. 5) are longitudinally adjustable rests21 and 22 for actuating levers of limit switches 23 and 24 mounted onthe carriage. The switches are electrically connected to solenoids ofelectromagnets 25 and 26 (FIG. 2) acting on a rod 27 of a reversibleslide valve 28 connected through pipelines 29 and 30 to the cylinder 15.

Bulk or smalllump materials are fedby means of two disk feeders 31 and32 (FIG. 10) are fed to the belt of the receiving conveyor 12. Set onshafts 33 of the feeders 31 and 32 are worm wheels 34 which are inengagement with a worm 35 rotated by a motor 36. Apart from the wormwheels 34, set on the shafts 33 of the feeders 31 are also gear wheels37 which through idler wheels 38, 39, and 40 rotate a shaft 41 and aneccentrically fitted slide block 42. The slide block is rectangular inshape and is mounted with clearance along two parallel sides in a guideslot 43 so as to travel reciprocally in slot 43. The slot 43 can bedirectly formed in gathering head 44 or in a member coupled thereto sothat said slide block forces gathering head 44 to vibrate along guides45 (FIG. 10) on a frame 46 of the pick-up device.

The operation of the present facility consists in the following: byactuating the drive motors 5 the facility is moved towards the materialsto be handled. This done, bits of material are fed to the disk feeders31, 32 supplying the material to the receiving conveyor 12. From thelatter material is transported to the unloading belt conveyor 10.

Material to be fed to the disk feeders 31, 32 is subjected topreliminary ripping and loosening as a result of the translationalmovement of the gathering heads 44 which cut the material with theirsharp edges. The pickup area width necessary to ensure the requiredproductivity' is obtained by a pendulum movement of the horizontal frame6 together with the pick-up device. This is a result of the action ofthe cylinder 15 and the reversible valve 28. The working liquid throughthe pipelines 29 and 30 and through the valve 28 is periodicallydelivered into and removed from thechambers of the hydraulic cylinder15. This ensures the movements of the cylinder 15 and the frame 6 inboth directions. The extreme positions of the pick-up device are shownby the dotted lines in FIGS. 2 and 11. Upon reaching its extremeposition the rest 22 actuates the switch 24 deactivating the solenoidelectromagnet 25, the coil of the electromagnet 26 being simultaneouslyenergized. The rod 27 of the slide valve 28 changes position, and theworking liquid begins to flow into the pipeline 30. The hydrauliccylinder 15 runs to the opposite position until the stop 21 reaches thelimit switch 23 which causes return of the electromagnets controllingthe slide. valve. 28.

Thus, the continuous pendulum movement of the frame 6 proceeds.

Since both ends of the rod 16 are fixedly secured to the brackets 17 ofthe carriage 1, during the movement of cylinder 15 relative to the rod16, said cylinder rotates the frame 12 of the receiving conveyorrelative to the carriage 1. At the same time, the pin 18 fitted with theroller 19 travels some distance along the slot of the conveyerundercarriage 12.

The turn angle of the pick-up device can be changed by repositioning therests 21 and 22. If needed, the hydraulic mechanism controlling theturning can be operated manually.

The angle of slope of the receiving conveyor can be changed by means ofthe hydraulic cylinder 14. Successive positions of the facility engagedin unloading bulk materials are shown in FIGS. 11a, 11b and 11c. Atfirst, the facility is positioned in the car doorway, said facilitybeing moved in the direction normal to the longitudinal axis of the car.When the removal of the material at the place adjacent to the doorway iscompleted, the facility is turned, the end. of the unloading conveyor 10being left within the doorway. The automatic control of the mechanismfor turning the frame 6 starts to function, thus enlarging the pick-uparea up to the inside width of the car. In such a way, the car can beunloaded in one pass.

When the facility approaches the car end-side an additional conveyor isinstalled to remove the. material from the interior of the car.

What is claimed is:

1. An automotive continuous action facility for unloading bulk materialsfrom railroad freight cars, said facility comprising: a carriageincluding drive and running wheels; a receiving conveyor; an unloadingconveyor mounted on said carriage; a disk-type pick-up device attachedto the receiving conveyor for feeding material thereto; a horizontallyswingable frame positioned above said carriage and having one endattached to the receiving conveyor and another end pivotably attached tothe carriage; a hydraulic mechanism mounted on the carriage for swingingthe pick-up device together with the receiving conveyor, said mechanismincluding a double-acting hydraulic cylinder, which is hinged to thereceiving conveyor and is capable of traveling transversely within alimited distance; brackets mounted on said carriage; a piston rod forsaid hydraulic cylinder having ends which are fixedly secured to saidbrackets; rests positioned on the ends of said hydraulic cylinder; a pinfitted in a middle portion of said hydraulic cylinder, a slide blockcarried by said pin and traveling in a slot provided in said receivingconveyor; limit switches fitted on the carriage to control the hydraulicmechanism for regulating the degree of swinging of the pick-up deviceand receiving conveyor;

vibratory gathering head means on the pick-up device for rippingmaterial; means to drive the pick-up device; and means for driving thedrive wheels of the carriage.

2. An automotive continuous-action facility for unloading bulk materialsfrom railroad freight cars, said facility comprising: a carriageincluding drive and running Wheels; a receiving conveyor; an unloadingconveyor mounted on said carriage; a disk-type pick-up device attachedto the receiving conveyor for feeding material thereto; a horizontallyswingable frame positioned above said carriage and having one endattached to the receiving conveyor and another end pivotably attached tothe carriage; a hydraulic mechanism mounted on the carriage for swingingthe pick-up device and receiving conveyor, said mechanism including adouble-acting hydraulic cylinder which is hinged to said receivingconveyor and is capable of traveling transversely within a limiteddistance; a reversible slide valve for changing the direction ofmovement of said hydraulic cylinder; pipelines connecting saidreversible valve to said hydraulic cylinder; electromagnets acting on apiston of said slide valve; brackets, mounted on the carriage; a pistonrod for said hydraulic cylinder having ends which are fixedly secured tosaid brackets; rests positioned on said ends of said cylinder; a pinfitted in a middle portion of said hydraulic cylinder, a slide blockcarried by said pin and traveling in a slot provided in said receivingconveyor; limit switches fitted on the carriage to control the hydraulicmechanism for regulating the degree of swinging of the pick-up deviceand receiving conveyor, said limit switches being electrically connectedto said electromagnets acting on the rod of the reversible slide valve;vibratory gathering head means on the pick-up device for rippingmaterial, said heads being driven by a slide block mountedeccentrically; and drive means for driving the pick-up device, saiddrive means including electric motors and reduction gears interconnectedthrou h idler gears.

3. Material transfer apparatus comprising a drivable carriage, framemeans pivotally supported on said carriage, receiving conveyor meansmounted on the frame means for transporting material, hydraulic means onsaid carriage for oscillating the frame means and the receiving conveyormeans relative to the carriage, unloading conveyor means mounted on thecarriage for receiving transported material from the receiving conveyormeans and means on the frame means for engaging material and feeding thesame to the receiving conveyor means, vibratory gathering heads forripping the material and disk feeders behind said gathering heads forfeeding the ripped material to the receiving conveyor means.

4. Material transfer apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein saidhydraulic means comprises a reciprocally movable cylinder mounted on thecarriage and means connecting the cylinder and the frame means toproduce oscillation of the latter as the cylinder undergoes reciprocalmovement.

5. Material transfer apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein saidhydraulic means comprises reversible drive means therefor, and first andsecond switch means in spaced relation along the path of the cylinder,said switch means being connected to said drive means for reversing thedirection of drive of the cylinder when the latter reaches said switchmeans.

6. Material transfer apparatus as claimed in claim 3,

comprising means on the frame means for tilting the receiving conveyormeans relative to the carriage.

7. Material transfer apparatus as claimed in claim 3, comprising meansmounted on the receiving conveyor means for driving both the gatheringheads and the disk feeders.

8. Material transfer apparatus as claimed in claim 3, comprising meanspivotally connecting the unloading conveyor means and the carriage topermit variation of the position of the unloading conveyor means and thecarriage.

9. An automotive continuous-action facility for unloading bulk materialsfrom railroad freight cars, said facility comprising: a carriageincluding drive and running wheels; a receiving conveyor; an unloadingconveyor mounted on said carriage; a disk-type pick-up device attachedto the receiving conveyor for feeding material thereto; a framepositioned above said carriage, said frame having one end connected tothe receiving conveyor and an opposite end pivotably connected to thecarriage; a hydraulic mechanism mounted on the carriage and engaging thereceiving conveyor for turning the pickup device and the receivingconveyor in oscillation relative to the carriage; limit switches on thecarriage to control the hydraulic mechanism for regulating the degree ofturning of the receiving conveyor and pick-up device; vibratorygathering head means on the pick-up device for ripping material andfeeding the same to the receiving conveyor; means for driving thepick-up device; and means for driving the drive wheels of the unloadingfacility.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,313,217 8/1919 Jackson 198-882,960,208 11/ 1960 Sibley 198-112 3,003,611 10/1961 Pelzer 198883,205,859 9/1965 Fine 1981 12 FOREIGN PATENTS 880,585 4/ 1943 France.

RICHARD E. AEGERTER, Primary Examiner.

1. AN AUTOMOTIVE CONTINUOUS-ACTION FACILITY FOR UNLOADING BULK MATERIALSFROM RAILROAD FREIGHT CARS, SAID FACILITY COMPRISING: A CARRIAGEINCLUDING DRIVE AND RUNNING WHEELS; A RECEIVING CONVEYOR; AN UNLOADINGCONVEYOR MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIAGE; A DISK-TYPE PICK-UP DEVICE ATTACHEDTO THE RECEIVING CONVEYOR FOR FEEDING MATERIAL THERETO; A HORIZONTALLYSWINGABLE FRAME POSITIONED ABOVE SAID CARRIAGE AND HAVING ONE ENDATTACHED TO THE RECEIVING CONVEYOR AND ANOTHER END PIVOTABLY ATTACHED TOTHE CARRIAGE; A HYDRAULIC MECHANISM INCLUDING A DOUBLE-ACTING FORSWINGING THE PICK-UP DEVICE TOGETHER WITH THE RECEIVING CONVEYOR, SAIDMECHANISM INCLUDING A DOUBLE-ACTING HYDRAULIC CYLINDER, WHICH IS HINGEDTO THE RECEIVING CONVEYOR AND IS CAPABLE OF TRAVELING TRANSVERSELYWITHIN A LIMITED DISTANCE; BRACKETS MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIAGE; A PISTONROD FOR SAID HYDRAULIC CYLINDER HAVING ENDS WHICH ARE FIXEDLY SECURED TOSAID BRACKETS; RESTS POSITIONED ON THE ENDS OF SAID HYDRAULIC CYLINDER;A PIN FITTED IN A MIDDLE PORTION OF SAID HYDRAULIC CYLINDER, A SLIDEBLOCK CARRIED BY SAID PIN AND TRAVELING IN A SLOT PROVIDED IN SAIDRECEIVING CONVEYOR; LIMIT SWITCHES FITTED ON THE CARRIAGE TO CONTROL THEHYDRAULIC MECHANISM FOR REGULATING THE DEGREE OF SWINGING OF THE PICK-UPDEVICE AND RECEIVING CONVEYOR; VIBRATORY GATHERING HEAD MEANS ON THEPICK-UP DEVICE FOR RIPPING MATERIAL; MEANS TO DRIVE THE PICK-UP DEVICE;AND MEANS FOR DRIVING THE DRIVE WHEELS OF THE CARRIAGE.